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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

COVID-19: Rural Hospital Compendium
Summarizes Missouri Hospital Association's (MHA) efforts to help rural hospitals address the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes information on advocacy and financial support, the rural healthcare workforce, telehealth, personal protective equipment, and more.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Hospital Association
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Expanding the Capacity of Rural Cancer Care With Teleoncology
Discusses the geographic barriers rural patients may face when seeking cancer treatment. Provides an overview of policy solutions to date. Identifies federal and state policy options that could extend cancer care to rural areas through telehealth services.
Author(s): Jason Semprini
Citation: Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 15(2)
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
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The Universal Service Fund and COVID-19: The FCC and Industry Response
An overview of three Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Universal Service Fund programs and actions taken through these programs in response to COVID-19. Describes the steps taken through the Rural Health Care Program to promote access to telehealth services during the public health emergency.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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CMS Roadmap: Strategy to Fight the Opioid Crisis
An overview of the efforts the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is undertaking to address the opioid epidemic. Highlights a three-pronged approach focusing on prevention, treatment, and data utilization to target prevention and treatment activities.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Health and COVID-19
Webinar recording discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in rural communities in the areas of healthcare and human services. Features presentations by representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Additional links: Audio Recording, CDC Rural Health Resources, Presentation Slides, Webinar Transcript
Date: 05/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Report to Congress: Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations under Medicaid - Final Report
Details methods to reduce barriers to the use of telehealth for mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment for pediatric patients covered by Medicaid. Highlights barriers, best practices, and costs, among other measures. Features several case studies across the U.S., including in rural communities.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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A Cohort Comparison of Differences Between Regional and Buncombe County Patients of a Comprehensive Perinatal Substance Use Disorders Program in Western North Carolina
Presents a study on access to perinatal substance use disorder care in rural counties in western North Carolina compared to the more urban Buncombe County. Analyzes a hub-and-spoke model that aims to provide perinatal substance use disorder care across the state and discusses the barriers to care in rural areas.
Author(s): Shelley L. Galvin, Melinda Ramage, Catherine Leiner, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 81(3), 157-165
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
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HIV Prevention and Treatment Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the prevalence of HIV and access to HIV prevention and treatment services in rural communities. Discusses challenges to providing and accessing HIV prevention and treatment efforts in rural areas, including the lack of local healthcare services, the cost of care, and HIV-related stigma. Describes federal programs that support HIV prevention and treatment services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address these barriers and to reduce rural HIV disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the clinical factors and social determinants of health that may increase the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality in rural communities. Discusses the impact of insurance coverage status, hospital and obstetric unit closures, and workforce shortages on rural maternal health. Describes the role of the Department of Health and Human Services in addressing maternal health outcomes. Offers policy recommendations to reduce rural maternal health disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Integrating Rural into the New Reality of Healthcare
Discusses service consolidations implemented by healthcare systems to control costs, and examines the resulting cuts to rural healthcare services, especially in Minnesota. Offers recommendations to help policymakers respond to the negative effects of healthcare acquisitions and mergers on healthcare access in rural communities. Includes rural/urban comparisons on profit margins for hospitals, patient demographics, miles traveled for inpatient and outpatient services, and more.
Additional links: Webinar Recording
Author(s): Kelly Asche, Marnie Werner
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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